Several months ago we checked out how ZONA had changed after the arrival of the upscale restaurant’s new chef Gábor Krausz, and we learned about a new café of the Baldaszti Group that was in the making at the time. The plan was to create a laid-back, yet first-rate, meeting place that showcases the historic characteristics of Budapest, and provides a pleasant background for morning coffee sessions on the spacious sunlit terrace, or cozy dinner dates in wintertime.
With its finishing touches added the day before Christmas, Liberté Grand Café opened on Aulich Street in one of the loveliest neighborhoods of District V, a stone’s throw away from Szabadság Square and a short stroll away from Parliament. The venue is the former site of the Szabadság Café (which is also the inspiration behind the new name), a favorite haunt of prominent Hungarian poets like Endre Ady. Many years later, the space was occupied by the unimpressive Spartacus Restaurant, until the original Art Nouveau interior and Szabadság Café name were eventually restored. The next makeover and name change arrived in December 2015, and Liberté began its mission of carving out a place for itself among downtown’s 21st-century coffeehouses.
Reserved for true heavyweights of the genre, the grand café title is by no means an exaggeration – when you look at the size and style of the Liberté interior, you’ll agree that the restaurant’s elegant, revered label is absolutely apropos in this case. The turn-of-the-century vibes are long gone, and the prevalent mood of the interior is inspired by American diners, so expect to find lots of black, white, brown, plush upholstery, and glossy marble-topped tables. If you’re like us, and you love “Dallas”, Casino , and American Hustle, you’ll definitely adore Liberté, which exudes a carefully concocted mix of timeless grace and ostentatious audacity, demonstrated by the “upstairs” lounge (which can be closed off for private events), the sleek and modern fireplace, and the huge billiards table.
Marci Lengyel is the main mastermind behind the interior, with Péter Baldaszti and Szandra Sándor also making valuable contributions. Out of all the attractive design elements, the wind-blocking curtains, the leather lounge suite, and the billiards table were by far our favorites.Liberté opens at 8am every morning, so it’s a perfect place to start the day with a hearty breakfast and an invigorating cup of coffee, with the java provided by Lumen. A regular lunch selection will be introduced in February, but meanwhile guests can browse the extensive menu to order anything from appetizers to desserts. We took a sneak preview of the kitchen before it was completed, and we can safely say it deserves the “grand cuisine” description due to its spectacular dimensions. We really appreciate the fact that the dishes arrive from the basement kitchen via a dumbwaiter, so there are no overwhelming cooking smells in the dining area.
The direction of the cuisine is characterized by tried and trusted favorites, along with a few big ideas. Everything on the menu is straightforward and absolutely delicious, and you get decent-sized portions for medium-sized prices. An espresso and a slice of cake cost about as much as at most city-center confectioneries or coffee shops. If you’d prefer something more filling later in the day, go for the sumptuous dinner options, and follow the meal with a glass of bourbon and a game of billiards.We haven’t tried any breakfast dishes, but we were really impressed by everything else. We’re big fans of the crispy wonton starter filled with pork belly and served with pickled radish and ponzu sauce (2,270 HUF), and the classic Caesar salad (2,740 forints) with chicken that was crispy on the outside, but wonderfully tender on the inside. The Caribbean salsa that came with the fishcake was divine. We’d heard great things about the ramen (2,970 HUF) here, so we had to give it a try: it was smooth yet flavorful, and very enjoyable. The Argentine filet mignon (7,450 HUF for 200 g) is strongly recommended for steak lovers. From the varied sandwich and pasta selection, we picked the tagliatelle with chili and garlic prawns, rucola and parsley (3,640 HUF), and we were not disappointed. To round it all off, we tucked into a thick slice of meringue cake.We will surely drop by Liberté again for many things: the billiards, the chess, the coffee, the cakes, the wontons, and the atmosphere that is truly special in all of Budapest.
